Have you ever walked through a Farmer's Market and wished you could just gather your finds and have lunch right there on the sidewalk? And then just Instagram the whole experience because it's just such a beautiful day surrounded by beautiful blooms and happy people?

Flower Child is that experience.

Flower Child Del Mar is, in short, my new favorite place for lunch. If you want to woo me, beg my forgiveness, ask me to carry your child, whatever... this is the place to do it. And if you know me, you know that I am nothing if not a hippie flower child. If I could get paid for it, I would just walk through gardens in the sunshine all day. I love beautiful surroundings, and not only is the place beautiful, the food is UH-MAY-ZING!

If you're familiar with True Food Kitchen, then you'll get the food concept at Flower Child. Flower Child is a health-minded restaurant that serves up the kinds of foods that you know you need to be eating more of or want to eat more of but can't really ever find in a fast/casual restaurant. The Flower Child menu is filled with a selections of organic, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan items, all nutritious and locally sourced food.

The central part of the menu is mix-and-match, allowing guests to select their favorite combination of seasonal vegetables, fruits, and grains such as Spicy Japanese Eggplant with Thai basil and cashew or Red Chili Glazed Sweet Potato (OMG, SO GOOD), as well as optional proteins like grass-fed steak, sustainably sourced salmon, and organic non-GMO tofu.

If you don't like mixing-and-matching, don't worry... they have some "stock options" like their bowls, wraps, and salads. I tried the Mother Earth bowl, which, as I was told, is their most popular item. A couple of bites in, I totally understood why. Filled with ancient grains, sweet potato, portobello mushroom, avocado, cucumber, broccoli pesto, leafy greens, red pepper miso vinaigrette, and hemp seeds, this bowl was fast becoming my new best friend. My actual best friend, Michelle was equally as happy with her choice: the Flying Avocado, a wrap filled with smoked turkey, gouda, romaine, tomatoes, and avocado hummus.

The open kitchen concept allows diners to watch as chefs prepare their orders. On-the-go guests are served via a dedicated area devoted to quick, easy takeout/pickup orders.

Everything is served up with “bohemian” flair. And it's the bohemian flair that I absolutely fell for at Flower Child. Walking through the restaurant, you get the sense that you're in an Instagram picture. Everything around you is just so. darn. pretty. The colors evoke a feeling of sunshine and happiness and wherever you look, the walls are delighting you with some picture or mural or bold flower print.

There are a few spots to sit and peruse the menu or wait for your to-go order. There are also several areas to sit and dine, if you're staying. As you walk into Flower Child, you pass a sidewalk cafe style patio and enter into an open area of high top tables made that look like large pastry tables on bright green pedestals. Sun streams in from the large windows facing south, making the space naturally bright and cheery.

Walking downstairs to the lower level, you'll find more traditional table seating amid the Love and Twiggy murals. Keep going out the french doors and you'll be enjoying lunch out on the back patio in a somewhat garden-like setting. Suffice to say, there are plenty of places to park yourself at Flower Child, each with its own delightful surroundings.

EVEN THE BATHROOM IS DELIGHTFUL!!!

So, yes... the food is amazing and nutritious and delicious, but seriously... I could live in this space. It's happy and beautiful and bright and the perfect surroundings for the perfect lunch or dinner.

I see many Flower Child lunches in my future...

Flower Child Del Mar is located in (where else) the Flower Hill Mall off the Del Mar Exit and the 5. Parking can be tight at that shopping center, so to maintain your zen, head over to the parking structure behind the Whole Foods. Or if you came on your bike after yoga, you can park your mat here: